As reported in the March, 2014 issue of the Journal of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, investigators at MD Anderson (Houston, TX) reported on “A Retrospective Evaluation of the Use of Video-Capable Double-Lumen Endotracheal Tubes in Thoracic Surgery” which was performed on 29 patients. The primary objective of the investigation was to evaluate whether the use of the VivaSight™ DL reduced the need for fiberoptic bronchoscopy during One Lung Ventilation (OLV). The current standard of practice requires the use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy to verify placement of endotracheal tubes during One Lung Ventilation procedures. According to the investigators, the use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy was not required either for initial VivaSight DL placement or for correct placement verification upon final patient positioning, in over 93% of patients evaluated.

Investigators at the Leiden University Medical Center (Leiden, Netherlands) and Haga Hospital (The Hague, Netherlands) recently reported during the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons Meeting(1) on “The VivaSightDL for VATS [Video Assisted Thoracic Surgeries], Reducing surgery time and costs.” After analyzing the results from 201 cases, the investigators concluded that VivaSight DL reduced time to achieve OLV by 22% when compared to surgical procedures which utilized fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Further, associated expenditures on a per surgery basis were reduced by 17% when using VivaSight DL vs. surgical cases employing fiberoptic bronchoscopy.(2) The investigators also commented that in comparison to lung-isolation procedures employing a regular single-lumen endotracheal tube, a bronchial-blocking catheter and a fiberoptic bronchoscope, the use of the VivaSightDL reduces the cost by up to 51.6%. The investigators plan to submit for publication, the entirety of their findings, during 2014.

Typically, during lung isolation, temporary visualization of the patient airway is achieved with a fiberoptic bronchoscope while the patient is ventilated and the target lung isolated. Such intra-operative surgical maneuvers often require repeated imaging and partial blocking of the airway to maintain lung isolation.(5) It is estimated that over 1.9 million lung isolation procedures are conducted worldwide annually,(6) accounting for over $250 million in single-use medical disposables.(7) ETView has developed the VivaSight platform, combining an airway ventilation tube with integrated continuous high resolution airway imaging for patient airway management and lung isolation capability, eliminating the need for fiberoptic bronchoscope(8) imaging for intubation and airway monitoring in lung isolation procedures.

Forward-Looking Statement

The Company estimations in this press release, including those estimations regarding the Company’s predicted scope of business, constitute forward-looking statements, as such term is defined under the Israeli Securities Law (5728-1968), and there is no certainty that such estimations shall materialize. The Company’s estimations are based on business assumptions, prior experience, and professional data. Due to various factors, foreseen and unforeseen, including, but not limited to, changes in market trends, competition, global or local economic conditions, and amendments of regulation, such estimations may not materialize in whole or in part, or materialize in a substantially different manner than anticipated by the Company.